Standard 3: Supporting student success
National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnership Awards
Definition
Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support students’ learning and healthy
development both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to
do so effectively.
Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning. Supporting teaching and learning is translating high
expectations into clear goals and positive action, and helping each child become the best he or she can be. In
striving for high quality, interactive instruction, successful home-school partnerships must work to provide
appropriate home supports for homework, behavioral expectations and social skills and provide multiple opportunities for productive involvement of parents and community members.
Student learning increases when parents are invited into the process by helping at home. Enlisting parents' involvement
provides educators and administrators with a valuable support system—creating a team that is working for each child's
success. Parents are willing to assist their students in learning, but many times are not sure what assistance is most
helpful and appropriate. Helping parents connect to what their children are learning enables parents to communicate in
powerful ways that they value what their children achieve. Whether it's working together on a computer, displaying
student work at home, or responding to a particular class assignment, parents' actions communicate to their children
that education is important.
Consider these questions when planning your program, projects, and activities:
- Does your PTA/PTSA work with your school, parent educators, or other community groups to host
meetings and/or classes on parenting and parent involvement (parent involvement policies, programs, and
activities with flexible hours to accommodate working parents) in their child’s education?
- Does your PTA/PTSA work together with your school to establish policies that support and respect family
responsibilities, recognizing the variety of parenting traditions and practices within the community's
cultural and religious diversity?
- Does your PTA/PTSA work with your school to involve parents in planning for the transition to middle or
high school, or post-secondary education and careers?
- Does your PTA/PTSA sponsor workshops or distribute information to assist parents in understanding how
students can improve skills, get help when needed, meet class expectations, and perform well on
assessments?
- Does your PTA/PTSA provide information regarding how parents can foster learning at home, give
appropriate assistance, monitor homework, and give feedback to teachers?
- Does your PTA/PTSA provide opportunities
Sample programs:
- Family workshops on planning for college or career fairs
- Sponsor wellness and fitness programs.
- Student versus parent math/science or trivial competitions
